You can never be too careful – the trip to A&E

Wednesday 19th October started as regular hump day – aside from knowing I’ll be a dad come summer – but it quickly took a turn for the worst.

Late morning came and I received the devastating news that my granddad, an effortless role model to me for the best part of 30 years, had passed away after a battle with cancer.

He lived to the ripe age of 91, having raised five children and twice as many grandchildren.

Some great-grandchildren, courtesy of my cousins, have even made an appearance.

Thankfully, my mum was able to share the news with him about another great-grandchild on the way just a couple of days before he went, which I’m told brought a smile to his face.

That in itself was heartwarming and I’m pleased he was happy in the knowledge I had an exciting new adventure ahead.

I spent the evening lost in thought back at home, but snapped out of my reverie when I was told the baby was causing Jenna sharp stomach pains.

“It turned out Jenna was six weeks and four days pregnant, rather than the two-three weeks the pregnancy test displayed.”

Of course, it could have been nothing, but it was certainly not worth taking the chance and we went to A&E to ensure everything was okay.

After being seen reasonably quickly, we were then alerted that the pains could have been caused due to an ectopic pregnancy.

Neither of us knew what that was, but it came to light that this is when the fertilised egg begins to grow in the fallopian tubes, rather than the womb. Unfortunately, no pregnancy can progress if that happens.

After an assessment from another doctor much later on, we were referred to have an emergency scan the next day, forewarned that the midwives may fail to detect anything due to the infancy of the pregnancy.

A weight was removed from our shoulders the next day when we were told the baby was fine and exactly where they should be.

But a further bit of news followed as it turned out Jenna was six weeks and four days pregnant, rather than the two-three weeks the pregnancy test displayed.

This, in turn, explained the stomach pains she had been experiencing, as the pregnancy was much further along than we imagined.

The valuable lesson we discovered is that if you have any concerns, voice them, and don’t be afraid to do so. Nothing should be left to chance.